Degradation of some benzodiazepines by a laccase-mediated system in aqueous solution

Purified laccase from the soil ascomycete, Paraconiothyrium variabile was employed in the degradation of 7 benzodiazepine substances in the absence and presence of the enzyme mediators, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT), 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP), and vanillic acid (VA). In the absence of a laccase mediator, the original concentrations of 10 μg mL−1 of nitrazepam, alprazolam, diazepam, and oxazepam decreased by 27.3%, 45.6%, 18.6% and 18.7%, respectively, after 48 h treatment using the purified enzyme, whereas the removal percentages for clobazam, chlordiazepoxide, and lorazepam were only 5.6%, 3.6%, and 4.1%, respectively. Among the laccase mediators, HBT was the most efficient compound, increasing the degradation percentages of nitrazepam, alprazolam, diazepam, and oxazepam to 73%, 88.1%, 61.4%, and 71.2%, respectively. The removal percentages of clobazam, chlordiazepoxide, and lorazepam was increased to 8.2%, 4.7%, and 6.5%, respectively, when the laccase-HBT system was used. The data presented suggest that the laccase-mediated system has potential for the elimination of some benzodiazepines in aqueous solution.